Lunchtime
by bubble-rouge08
Summary: [SMACked] The Taylors go out for lunch.  And then, Dylan starts to ask questions.  [Part of Since that Cold November Day series]


_**A/N: Hello everybody! New short fic here. This is yet another part of the "Since That Cold November Day" series.**_

_**A little history on this. My friends and I were out for a late lunch. The table next to us had a small family and out of the blue, the kid asks her mom what the "things" on her plate were – mushrooms, tomatoes… basically a salad. I could totally see Dylan do that, too.**_

_**I hope you enjoy this one! Thanks!**_

_**CSINYCSINYCSINYCSINY**_

**LUNCHTIME**

**© CATE**

As much as Stella loved cooking for her family, eating out from time to time sounded appealing to her, too. Her four-year-old son Dylan Christopher seemed to enjoy sampling burgers, pasta, French fries and other foods from several diners and restaurants. Mac Taylor, her husband, was only too happy to take his wife and kids out on a fine weekend – to make up for not being with them all the time during the week. The youngest member of their family, five-month-old Mary Alexandra loved seeing new things around her. Mara had started to laugh and smile now, much to her parents' and big brother's enjoyment.

After a light breakfast picnic at Central Park and an early walk in the city, Mac chose a quaint family-style diner to have their lunch. Dylan was twirling his _pishgedi_ (spaghetti) on his plate as he took a small sip of mango juice, trying not to get the red sauce all over his face and clothes. Mac ordered pastrami on rye and a tall glass of iced tea. Stella opted for a bowl of Caesar salad and a slice of pecan pie. Since Mara had started to eat solid food – usually mush – they also had servings of mashed potatoes to share.

The baby girl was sitting in her stroller, looking around with her bottle of breast milk – freshly pumped that morning – in her small hand. Stella complained that she produced too much milk but didn't kvetch about what it did for that certain part of her anatomy. And quire frankly, Mac didn't either. Mara was dressed in a soft and pretty pink sweater with the slogan _I'm A Baby Sister_ emblazoned on the front and matching bottoms over her diapers. Little Mickey Mouse booties adorned her tiny feet, a gift from Margot when they visited three months ago. Mac's mother made a yellow knitted bonnet for her little granddaughter. A few strands of curly brown hair were visible under the little hat.

Big brother Dylan was making funny faces at his baby sister. That would make her laugh so much, her feet wiggling, her cheeks round with joy. Mac and Stella would just look proudly on at how easily their son took the responsibility of being an older brother to Mara.

"Mommy…" he said after helping his sister raise the bottle up to her lips, "why can't she eat pishgedi yet?" He stabbed a meatball and took a bite out of it.

"Well, baby, she doesn't have teeth yet," Stella explained, sipping her lemonade. "But she can have some mashed taters." She bent down and fed her daughter some of the said food item. Mara smiled as she gummed the mush and shook her rattle. "That's my baby girl," Stella cooed.

When Mara was born, Dylan's classmates and some of the parents came by to visit the family in the hospital. Some of them gave flowers, books and a lot of stuffed toys. One of them is a Spongbob Squarepants character, Patrick Star. Maggie, one of Dylan's classmates handed it over to 'Miss Stella' herself when she clambered up the bed to see the baby. Mara was jolted awake by the slight bouncing of the bed. When she was about to cry, Maggie held the toy up for the baby to see and to somehow calm her. The plan worked since the starfish became Mara's favorite toy. She had it on her lap and would give it a hug from time to time. The green of the shorts of the stuffed toy mirrored those of Mara's eyes.

"Daddy," the toddler said this time, "uhm… can I have mushy 'tatoes, too?" He held up his plate to his father who was beside him. Mac scooped some on his son's plate including some peas. That earned him a protest from the boy.

"But son, you need to eat them, too," he explained with a chuckle at Dylan's scandalized expression. "They're good for you."

Yet the boy still shook his head no. "Daddy… no yucky peas," he said and then pouted.

Mac looked at his wife and smirked. _Oh yes, they are at that stage now_, with Dylan. "Come on, Dylan," he persisted, not taking away the few pieces of peas on the plate, "you used to eat peas, you know." Dylan still wasn't agreeing with him.

Stella decided to take the reins on this one. She spooned some peas on her plate and mashed them with her fork. "Look, Dylan," she said. She then fed the mashed peas to Mara. The little girl chuckled and held her bottle up to her mother. Stella placed the nipple between her daughter's lips. "See… your baby sister likes it. I can mash it up for you, if you want."

Dylan seemed to consider that for a moment and finally conceded. Stella mashed the peas up and mixed it with the potatoes. He then took an experimental taste of it and then decided that it _actually_ tasted good. Mac ruffled his hair and went on to finish his sandwich.

After finishing his spaghetti, the toddler slid to the floor and stood beside his sister's stroller and made some more funny faces. He _loved_ to hear his sister's laughs and loved it _even more_, making her happy. From time to time, he would take the starfish toy and walk it back and forth on the edge of the table with Mara watching him with big and fascinated eyes. She would have her arms up, reaching for her starfish and Dylan would walk it over back to her.

When the ice-crème came to their table, Dylan went back beside his father. Mac picked up Mara and placed her on his lap and taking off her bonnet. The chubby baby snuggled closer to the warmth of her father. Stella was still on her bowl of salad when Dylan asked out of the blue, "Mommy, why are you eating _leafs_?" with chocolate syrup all over his chin.

Mac had to stifle a laugh. It was priceless. Stella was caught off-guard by the question, her fork with a piece of romaine lettuce hanging off the prongs, her mouth open and ready to bite it off. Pair that with Dylan's big expressive eyes complete with the innocence of a four-year-old.

"Uh… Dylan… baby," Stella struggled, placing her fork down and trying to come up with an answer. "These are not _leaves_," she explained.

"They _look_ like _leafs_ to me," Dylan counted, his forehead creased like his father when in deep thought.

'Refusal to eat vegetables' stage _check_. 'Incessant usage of _why_ and questions' _check_. 'Little boy starting to be a lot like Dad' _check_.

Mac decided not to interfere with this exchange. Instead, opting to just watch how Stella would handle the whole thing. He's handled his share already.

There was a moment of silence while Stella formulated a comeback. Mara's baby talk and laughter could be heard in the background. "Dylan," Stella sighed, "uh… there are some _leaves_ that people," she said, pointing to all of them, "do eat." She shuffled on her seat, trying to come up with more. "I'm eating a _salad_. And these green things are _vegetables_. Much like your favorite, the carrot."

"But the cawot is orange, Mommy," the boy said. Stella looked at Mac for help but he was busy feeding Mara more mashed potatoes with carrots. Some of it dropped on her bib but she laughed anyway. "Those are green like the gwass and the leafs," he pushed, ice-crème forgotten.

Mara cried out in delight because her father just gave her a raspberry on chubby cheek. Little did Stella know, he did it to mask a chuckle. She heaved a sigh and tried again to convince her son. "Honey, the leaves on the trees and the grass on the ground are not vegetables – people don't eat them," she said out loud, adding, "As far as I know," in her head.

"The bunny rabbit from the petter zoo does," he piped up. The _petting_ zoo has always been his favorite place to go with his best friends Bobby, Bettina and _Flack_. Stella nodded in relief and finally took the last bite of her salad. She used the last crouton to mop up the excess dressing on the bottom of the bowl.

When they paid for their lunch and were ready to head home, Mara started to fuss in her stroller. Dylan tried to calm her down with her stuffed toy but she continued to whine. Mac placed the bottle at her lips but she pushed his hand away. She was starting to cry when Stella picked her up and kissed her downy head. The baby grabbed little handfuls of Stella's blouse and quieted down.

"She just wants to be with Mommy," she said with a kiss. They walked for a few blocks to where Mac parked their car. Mara fell asleep along the way, soft puffs of breath tickling Stella's neck.

Dylan climbed in the backseat and helped strap his sister in her baby seat. He then draped the Disney Princess baby blanket over her sleeping body. Stella choked a sob of happiness when she saw it. "That's my boy," she said, kissing him on the cheek.

Mac started the car and they went home.

When they arrived, the first thing Dylan did was ask, "Mommy… what's for dinner?"

**07/03/07**


End file.
